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Large turnout at Log Lane Village barbecue

Kids At Their Best co-hosted event with town, held T-shirt tie-dying

By Jenni Grubbs

Times Staff Writer

Posted:
08/10/2016 04:59:23 PM MDT

Mary and Frank Madrid, left, get their plates loaded up as Log Lane Village trustees and employees on the other side of the tables keep the barbecue buffet line stocked and moving Tuesday night at the town's annual community barbecue. Kids At Their Best co-hosted the event. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

Kids At Their Best held a tie-dying stand during Log Lane Village's community barbecue Tuesday night, with nearly every kid who went creating a colorful T-shirt. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

The town park was the place to be Tuesday night in Log Lane Village.

That was because the town's trustees and employees partnered with Kids At Their Best to throw a community barbecue there.

And somewhere between 180 and 200 people of all ages turned out for the event and its free food and T-shirt tie-dying.

In previous years, Log Lane and KATB have thrown similar events in coordination with law enforcement's National Night Out, which would have been the previous Tuesday night.

This year, the trustees decided to hold the barbecue a week later, which put it after the fair ended but still well before school started. That date shift, along with nice weather and the promise of free food, likely contributed to the high turnout Tuesday night, according to Town Manager Teryl Wessels.

Log Lane Village Mayor Bert Brown adds some salt to his slice of watermelon Tuesday night as others eat their slices at the town's annual barbecue. With nice weather, turnout was much higher this year than either the previous two years. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

"Having it after the fair made a difference," she said. "There's lots of kids here who participate in the fair."

Also, the town employees and trustees made an extra effort to spread the word out about the barbecue this year, Wessels said.

"We put the word out every day in the office and we put it in the newsletter," she said. "I'm really happy with the turnout."

"All the board members did a good job," the mayor said. "And our new office crew really helped."

"This was so nice tonight," said Jodi Walker, KATB executive director. "The weather held, and the town council was amazing. It all worked out, and the turnout was so good."

Brown thanked everyone who went to the barbecue for supporting it and making it a success.

"We appreciate all the citizens, and the more they show up, the better," Brown said. "I think our little town's looking up."

And the mayor also thanked the donors to the barbecue, including: Cargill Meat Solutions, Edwards Right Price Market, Lil' Greeney's Liquor, Log Lane Gas and Grocery, Sam's Club and Brookelinn Graphix.

Over the course of the barbecue, people consumed a lot of food, including: 60 pounds of hamburger and buns, 110 hot dogs and buns, 150 bags of chips, 15 pounds of potato salad, 3 gallons of baked beans, eight watermelons, seven cases of soda, four cases of water and four cases of juice drinks.

"We didn't have a lot left this year," Brown noted.

Beyond the free food, there was lots for people to do Tuesday night in Log Lane.

Kids At Their Best had a T-shirt tie-dying station set up, and there were plenty of kids taking advantage of that or playing on the playground equipment or kicking a soccer ball around the park.

Log Lane Village Trustee Robin Mastin opens up a hot dog bun for a young attendee at the town's annual community barbecue Tuesday night The town provided people who went to the barbecue with hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, beans, potato salad and sodas. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

The town also had some of its new equipment on display for residents to check out, including a bright orange tractor. And crews from Morgan County Ambulance Service and the Fort Morgan Fire Department brought vehicles for Log Lane folks to look over and ask questions.

All the while, Landre Walker manned the grill with help from Joe Kitzman. Walker, who was in his third year of doing this, said he enjoys it.

"Everybody wants to talk to the cook," he said.

Also popular was the tie-dying table, which ran out of dye and rubber bands at various times, with Jodi Walker having to seek out more of each to keep the colorful, messy fun going.

"It went amazingly well this year," she said of tie-dying, which is becoming an annual thing for the nonprofit in Log Lane.

Landre Walker mans the grill at the Log Lane Village/Kids At Their Best community barbecue Tuesday night in Log Lane. This was the third in a row that he cooked for the event, which is partly organized by his wife, KATB Executive Director Jodi Walker. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

"The kids went wild with tie-dying," said Bobbi Schantz, KATB Log Lane site manager, "We ran out of dye at one point, but every single kid made a shirt, and some made one for parents or other friends. They had a lot of fun doing it."

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